Car-coupling



(No Model.) I

A. N. TOWNE.

OAR'OOUPLING. No. 353,519. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

Niren STATES ALBAN N. TOYVNE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,519, dated November 30, 1886.

Application filed August :25, 1886. Serial No. 211,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBAN N. Towns, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Oar-Couplers; and I hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device for coupling or connecting cars.

It consists of pcculiarlylormed draw-heads adapted to interlock with each other when the cars come together, and having a pin-opening made between their central adjacent meeting sides, one-half the opening lying within each of the heads, so that when the pin is introduced it will hold them together, and, in combination with this, a plate or mechanism by which the two heads are prevented from separating by reason of too great a vertical movement of one of the cars which they connect.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my inven tion, Figure l is a perspective View of one of theheads, showing this preventer-plate. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3is a view showing the two heads en aged.

A A are draw-bars, having heads formed, as shown at B, so as to interlock or pass each other when cars come together that have these bars attached to them. The head B is formed upon one side of a central lineof the draw-bar, and upon the opposite side is an extension or wing, O, which forms, with the part B, a chamher or depression open at the front, and of sufficient size to admit the head B of the opposite draw-bar, while at the same time its own head enters a corresponding space in the other bar. These chambers or depressions h'ave vertical sides, and the two inner or adjacent faces B have vertical semi -cylindrical holes made in them, so that when the heads are brought together the semi-cylindrical holes will stand opposite each other, and together form a hole into which a pin may be dropped, which will remain in place and prevent the heads from being drawn apart.

The extending wings or resistance-guides G prevent the heads B from separating laterally and becoming released from the pin. As the chambers and heads have vertical sides, it will be manifest that any amount of vertical movement would be allowed between the two coupling-heads without some device for preventing (No model.)

the same, and in some cases, where the cars are of unequal height, or in passing over irregular road-beds or from a track upon the mainland to one upon a ferry-boat, or under certain other similar conditions, the cars might become uncoupled when itwas not desired to have them do so. In order to prevent this, I form a plate or diaphragm, H, at the rear of each of the chambers in the draw-head, as shown. Each of the heads B has a horizontal slot, G, made i n it, so that ifthese couplers are brought into contact with the ordinary couplers a link may pass into this slot and be held by a pin passing through the vertical hole l made through the end of the head B.

\Vhen two ofthese couplers having the plates or diaphragms H are brought together, each of the plates H will enter the slot G of the op posite head, and itwill be manifest that when the coupling-pin is in place between the two heads it will prevent their being drawn apart, and these plates or diaphragms will preventso great a vertical movement of the couplings as would separate them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The draw-bars having heads which pass each other upon the opposite sides of a vertical longitudinal plane, with curved extensions or resistanceguidcs from each bar, which pass outside ofthe head of'the opposite bar, and apin hole or opening one-half of which is formed in each of the meeting faces of the heads, to re- ALBAN N. TOWNE.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. 0. LEE. 

